The flowers in this piece symbolize childhood and innocence. I depicted myself among this field of flowers to represent my childhood memories. I'm grabbing at some of the flowers to represent my desire to revisit these memories and how dear they are to me. As I'm now in my senior year and applying to colleges, I find myself reflecting on these childhood memories and wondering what the future will be like.

Silent Remembrance

A man stands by a barn

brush in hand, making red strokes against weathered wood.

A hue of sorrow that draws from his heart.

A silent memorial of what once was.

Each gentle stroke becomes a prayer,

a whispered plea.

Each flick of the wrist traces the past.

Forgotten laughter and a father’s pride

lost between the bristles of the brush.

A cathartic dance ensues.

He seeks relief in the back-and-forth motion.

Back-and-forth of the dried tears,

a mourning heart.

As the sun sets, the skies red and orange,

a dichotomy of loss and love have sunk

into the scarlet wood, a standing testament

af a sonless father.

Jennyfer Loizeau ‘25

This poem originates from a writing exercise I did based on working with color. I decided to expand on it a little bit and develop it using themes of loss and what it's like to grieve. I love using metaphors in my poems, so I decided to use the color red, as it can symbolize both life and death.